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Tan Yeok Nee was born in China. He came to Singapore at a young age to seek a better life. He started working as a coolie but later became a pedlar selling cloth and textiles.

His business prospered and he partnered other businessmen in opening plantations for growing opium, pepper and gambier and became very wealthy.

He is remembered for the mansion he built in Clemenceau Avenue in 1885. The mansion was built in the style of the grand houses from his village in China. Today the mansion is the home of the Singapore campus of the Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Tan Yeok Nee returned to China in his later years and died there in 1902.